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The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) intends to hold a multifamily rental funding competition in February 2019. Pre-applications for potential affordable housing projects will be due on November 29, 2018. Sponsors whose projects are approved through the pre-application process will be allowed to submit full applications on February 21, 2019.
A copy of the Notice of Funding Availability can be downloaded by clicking here.

On October 11, the Baker-Polito Administration announced nearly $5 million in awards to 31 communities throughout the Commonwealth through two new grant programs under the Housing Choice Initiative. The Housing Choice Initiative, introduced by Governor Charlie Baker in December 2017, provides incentives, rewards and technical assistance reform to cities and towns that have been designated as "Housing Choice" after demonstrating certain levels of housing production or the adoption of best practices that encourage smart growth.

Read the full report by Boston Indicators, Boston Foundation's research center, here.
The five main takeaways from this report (p. 7) are:
Economic mobility is down
Income inequality is up
Boston's middle class is hollowing out
Poverty persists
Wealth disparities are growing

On Wednesday, October 3, HUD and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced new grants to reduce veteran homelessness as well as funding for a pilot program that helps disabled veterans make home modifications for greater accessibility.

On October 2, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, and 15 communities that form the Metro Mayors Coalition announced a new housing production goal for the coalition's region to meet the demands of a robust regional economy and a growing population in Boston and surrounding areas.

On October 2, the Baker-Polito Administration announced $3.2 million in awards for the production of 32 new affordable housing units in three communities,Falmouth, Northampton, and Newburyport, supported by the Community Scale Housing Initiative.

Last week, President Trump signed a spending package that will fund the Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, Education, and Defense, as well as a Continuing Resolution (CR) that will fund the rest of the government through December 7th. This avoided a potential government shutdown on October 1, the start of the federal government's next fiscal year, FY2019.

On Saturday, Trump administration officials announced on the Department of Homeland Security website that immigrants who legally use public benefits, including Section 8 housing vouchers, could be denied green cards under new rules titled, “Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds.”